Wednesday, September 16, 2009

“Bacon jam tastes like the love child of pulled pork and pate!” said one friend. “I am now officially in pig heaven,” said another as I shared tastes from the jar of Skillet’s bacon jam that had just arrived in the mail.

Bacon jam? Yes, indeed—it is good stuff. And so good, in fact, that I decided to figure out a way of making my own bacon jam at home so I wouldn’t have to rely on someone else for this smoky, pork-rich treat.

Over the past few months, it seems that you can’t escape the topic of bacon jam. Skillet’s rendition has certainly excited people, but at heart bacon jam is simply a potted meat, something that has been gracing battlefields, picnics, high teas and nursery suppers for hundreds of years.

For most, the term potted meat conjures up images of mystery meat in a can, but traditionally potted meat was made at home from meat scraps, herbs, spices and maybe an acid or a spirit, such as vinegar or brandy. Making potted meat was a preservation method, meant to extend the meat’s life just a few more weeks. Nothing mysterious or scary about its contents at all! Matter of fact, when made from quality ingredients, potted meat is as satisfying as pate, though it’s far easier to make. And like pate, potted meat can be either elegant and smooth or rustic with chunks.
As for my homemade bacon jam, I knew that it should have the smoky fire that comes from chipotles, the warming depth that comes from chocolate and allspice, a hint of sweetness, but also the bitterness that comes from coffee and the tang that comes from apple-cider vinegar.

I chose to use thick slices of center-cut bacon because I wanted to cook my meat for a long time and didn’t want it to completely disintegrate. And finally, I also added plenty of black pepper for heat and ancho chile powder both for its color and its fruity, nutty flavor.

Unfortunately, the first batch spent too much time in the food processor and ended up with a consistency that was a bit too creamy on the tongue; you definitely want some texture in your bacon jam to remind you of the spread’s source. But subsequent batches were just the right balance between being smooth and rough, much like your favorite homemade fruit jams where chunks of fruit are nestled in a thick syrup suspension.

Bacon jam is excellent on slices of tomatoes, plopped on a warm biscuit, stirred into a bowl of beans or spread on top of a cheeseburger. Or you can just grab a spoon and dig into your jar.

But best of all, it’s superb for sharing. You’ll soon see—nothing makes a friend's face light up more then when you pass them a jar and say, “Here, have a taste. It’s bacon jam!”

Method:
Cook the bacon until fat is rendered, but not too crisp. Cut cooked bacon into two-inch sized pieces.

On medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat in a medium-sized pot for two minutes. Add the cooked bacon, spices, apple-cider vinegar and coffee. Simmer on low for two hours, stirring occasionally. If jam starts to get dry, add water, 1/4 cup at a time.

After two hours, place bacon jam into a food processor, and puree for two or three seconds, tops. You just want to bring it together but still have some chunks.

Hi Lisa, I just checked out this recipe via a posting on Metafilter, and it looks amazing. So does the rest of your recipes! I love your site, and I will be checking it out regularly now. Thanks for representing our great state with such class and talent!

How do I know when to stop cooking?As many times as I have made bacon I never know when to stop and it's just lucky I can eat slightly overcooked OR undercooked bacon because it's a crapshoot every time.

This looks great. I'd like to try it but I hate coffee--any ideas for what to replace the coffee with? Obviously the liquid is necessary, but I'm afraid if I just replace it with water the flavor won't be very good.

I've lived in Texas the entire 40 years I have walked this earth and have never heard of Bacon Jam, but it sounds awesome! How great would a breakfast taco with eggs over-easy, bacon jam, grated colby-jack, and some good home-made spicy "beak of the rooster" (pico de gallo) be?

I can't believe it I think you came up with a bacon concoction that will surprise even the most fanatical of my bacon loving compadres. It is all about the bacon out here in SF. Someone actually tried hot bacon grease and garlic on popcorn the other night(it got a big thumbs up).I see your biscuit audition went well she is a beauty!I can't wait to try this gracias!

Lisa,Fantastic blog! i'm posting a link in my blog, castironitis, a Dutch oven cooking blog. Your jam recipe is to die for! I made a batch last night using bacon ends and pieces and was devine! It didnt last at all. I love heat and added a little bhut powder to kick up the heat mmmmmmm. last night i made a batch of guacamole and put in a Tablespoon of the bacon jam and it was out of this world! the jam sounds like it would make a great bacon ranch type of salad dressing or dip. I also smoke and bbq and am thinkin' using my own bacon and home smoked chipotles!Dave

For a guy that loves bacon as much as me, it's amazing to find even myself surprised by how many things find themselves fused with bacon these days. I've been fed bacon and apple pie, drank bacon vodka, and now will inevitably find myself trying to make bacon jam. After all, it's bacon! I'd be crazy not to.

I made this over the weekend and found it easy to prepare. You don't really mention heat in the post other than the chipotles would contribute a smoky heat.

I found the jam to be fiery hot to the point that only serious spicy food eaters would enjoy. I used 3 chipotles and the recipe turned out ass burning hot. Maybe sometime in the fridge will mellow it, but god was it ever spicy.

Call me a wimp .I used Herdez brand chipotles and I cannot recall them ever being so fiery.

Made the bacon jam this past weekend. I'm a lightweight with the heat, so I only used 2 chipotle peppers. I did add 2TB of brown sugar, so that there would a salty/sweet balance and to round out the spicey-ness. Now, I'm waiting for a really cool day to make biscuits for this lovely treat.

Love the recipe. I'm curious if after you get the jam in the jar, do you need to use a pressure canner? Or do you normally just refrigerate and then eat it within a week? Thanks for the info and great site.

Is the Mexican hot chocolate sweetened? And by hot, you mean it has some spice in it? Just want to get it right. I love your blog, BTW. I am a homesick Texan in NY and your Blog makes my day!! Muchos Gracias Shug

Ooh mama. I made this yesterday with only one tweak - instead of mexican chocolate, used a square and a half of dark chocolate and a dash of cinnamon. Came out DIVINE. I used extra thick applewood smoked bacon [nothing fancy - Oscar Mayer, i think] and super slow cooked it, rendering out as much fat as i could. I want to use that bacony goodness in my next batch of tamales. The bacon stayed nice and chunky, even after a few whirls in the food processor. I worship all your recipes, woman. Live and die by your carnitas recipe. Thank you for sharing!

Made this today and it tastes like barbecue bacon chile. Not what I was expecting but I can't stop stealing spoonfuls. I added a couple teaspoons maple syrup and cooked the whole thing in a Dutch oven. So the coffee/vinegar deglazed the yum yums!

Made this tonight with just two chipotles - it's PLENTY spicy, and I like spicy! Delicious, though, and a nice change from all the recipes that call for a ton of sugar. I made it completely low-carb by using cocoa powder and a bit of Splenda instead of the chocolate. Thanks!

I had heard of bacon jam coming from some restaurant featured on the food network and thought hmmm yeah not gonna buy that online. When I read this recipe I said to myself now this is something I can do. Can I just say that this is the most aaaamazing jam ever! I took it on a camping trip to spread on burgers and maybe a biscuit or two. It was such a hit it was put on grilled steak, breakfast burritos, chips, burgers, biscuits, eggs, potatoes and eaten out of the container with a fork. We live by the rule that bacon makes everything better and this recipe is no exception - thanks for the posting it was awesome!

Just came across your post and I cannot wait to try this recipe. I'm a bacon fiend and am notorious for my dark chocolate bacon cupcakes. Looking forward to adding something new to the bacon repertoire. I'm just curious how much this recipe makes. Also, you mention the difficulty in preserving the jars with a canner but have you ever tried to freeze it? Just curious if it defrosts well as I'm contemplating making some for wedding favors!